Art

Faculty:
Pishkur - Chair, Bentley, Bucher, McKenzie, Mintert, Outhouse
Fine Arts Building • 417-625-9563

Mission

The Art Department complements a university liberal arts education with professional training in visual art by offering several major areas of undergraduate study. These develop highly trained artists who will become designers, teachers and studio artists. The Department also includes minors for students majoring in other fields who desire to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills in Studio, Design and Art History. A series of post-baccalaureate courses in art are also provided as stand-alone classes or as electives in support of the Teacher Education Department’s Masters of Science in Education, Curriculum and Instruction degree. Our faculty provides an integrated, relevant educational experience through quality teaching, small classes and individual attention. Themed exhibitions in the campus Spiva Art Gallery, Art History courses, a permanent study collection of African artifacts and an extensive study abroad program provide training and experiences that fulfill the University’s International Mission while advancing culture and creativity in this region.

Implementation

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Art combines a liberal arts background with a strong foundation in studio arts and art history to prepare graduates for a wide range of creative careers. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art is the professional course of study that prepares graduates to pursue a career as a visual artist in areas such as sculpture, painting, printmaking or ceramics while the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design prepares students to pursue careers in advertising, print production, electronic media, web design and package design. Graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Education and a major in Art are certified through the Teacher Education program to teach K-12 in the state of Missouri.

Degree requirements in the various art programs are such that it is extremely important for students majoring in art to meet with their faculty advisors each semester. There are two major, direct assessments of candidates for art degrees: the Foundation Review (entrance examination) and Capstone Experience (public presentation/exit examination).

All art majors must enroll in the zero credit “course” Foundation Review upon completion of the 18 credit hours of foundational art courses. For this review, students submit a representative portfolio of their creative work from the foundation courses in person to a selection of the Art faculty following guidelines established in advance by the Art Department faculty. Passing this portfolio review is the prerequisite for enrolling in either of our senior level Professional Practices courses as well as the entrance examination for application and enrollment in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A) degrees.

The zero credit Art Capsone Experience is a formal presentation or exhibition of the student’s artwork to the public. The final grade students receive for this experience is determined by the evaluations all art faculty members submit and are based upon a ratings sheet assessing how well a candidate meets established criteria in the actual exhibition, as well as a submitted exit (digital) portfolio. B.F.A. students must also enroll in the zero credit B.F.A..Thesis course their final semester.

ART 0110 - Art Appreciation , ART 0251 or ART 0252 meets the General Education/Core 42 requirement for non-art majors in the area 5B Fine Arts.

For additional information contact:
Frank A. Pishkur• Fine Arts Building
417-625-9735 • pishkur-f@mssu.edu

Programs

Major

Minor

Courses

Art